Tuesday, July 24, 2007

First of all, you’re witnessing some blog history here. Uncle Bill becomes the first member of the family to be seen by the public. My mother would have been shown in her Key Lime Pie post but she refused to sign the release.

So, as promised, here is what happened to the homemade fettuccine. After it dried on the wooden rack for a few hours it was transferred to a sheet pan, waiting to be boiled and devoured by eight very hungry Italians (was that redundant?). I watched carefully as my cousin Michael properly salted the water; at least 5 tablespoons for the large pot of water boiling away on the stove. The biggest mistake people make when doing any kind of pasta is under salting the water. The water should actually taste slightly salty for your pasta to not have that “flat” taste. A couple pinches of the salt is not going to do it. Taste it if you are not sure how much to add.

This fresh, yet dried pasta took about 9 minutes to cook. Uncle Bill told me that when it started to float to the top, start testing it. Many people that make fresh pasta don’t dry it. They cook it fresh. Personally I think this is a huge mistake. I think the texture of the dried fresh pasta is far superior.

The sauce Uncle Bill prepared for the pasta was very simple, consisting of butter, olive oil, anchovies, lots of garlic, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese. This pasta was made to be a side dish to an amazing chicken recipe (pictured here) that I also filmed him making. I will post that recipe clip soon, and trust me; it will be worth the wait. It was one of the most delicious chicken dishes I’ve had in a long time, and one you will want to try. Stay tuned!

I made this last night and and served it with mashed potatoes along with a side of fresh zucchini, broccoli, onion and red bell pepper mix. Really delicious My husband, who is an extremely controlled/disciplined eater' had "thirds". Thank you for a great recipe and our thanks, also, to your Uncle.